Get ready for a super long blog post guys! I grew up watching my mom make the most light and fluffy quiches, so I thought I would share a few tricks and tips to make sure you can enjoy a perfect quiche every time! I also included my favorite quiche recipe below (also pictured), so you can check that out if you need a place to start.
Quiche is wonderful for breakfast or brunch, but it works equally well for lunch or even dinner depending on the flavors you pick, and what you serve along side. It is very versatile, and extremely easy to throw together quickly. Once you master the basic egg custard filling, the possibilities and flavor combinations are endless!
Perfect Quiche: Crust
There is nothing like a homemade all-butter crust. And truthfully, homemade crust isn't as intimidating as it sounds. Once you get a handle on homemade pie crust, you can really use it for anything, including quiche! With that said, I don't always make my own crust because I don't always have time or the forethought. If you aren't going to make your own crust, I suggest finding a crust that has as few ingredients as possible and/or uses all-butter. That will usually yield that flakiest, best tasting crust. I opt for gluten free whenever I can, and Whole Foods (brand) has an excellent all-butter gluten free crust in their frozen section.
A tip about par-baking crust: This is an important step to avoid a soggy bottom on your quiche! Sometimes I skip it if I am in a hurry and it's just me eating the quiche, but for a a dry, flaky bottom crust, don't skip par-baking. See more below.
Perfect Quiche: Egg Custard Filling
The egg custard filling is really the most crucial part of the quiche. An unbalanced custard filling can yield runny or even rubbery filling, neither of which we want! The import thing to remember with quiche filing is the ratio of eggs to liquid. The widely accepted ratio is 1 egg for every ½ cup of dairy. But, I've found that Julia Child's modified take on this ratio actually works best. Using a measuring cup, crack your eggs into it, and then add the liquid until you've reached your desired 1:2 goal. So for example, if you're using 3 eggs, crack them into your measuring cup, and then add your dairy to get you to 1 ½ cups total custard.
Let's talk fat for a second. Quiche is not a low-fat food! This should not come as a surprise. The fat content of your dairy is important. I recommend whole milk, or even something higher in fat like half and half. If you really want a decadent quiche, you can even use a little heavy cream.
For a standard 9-inch pie shell (NOT a tart pan), I use 4 eggs, and then equal parts half and half and whole milk, which yields a total of 2 cups of custard.
For a deep dish pie plate, like the one I use, I use 8 eggs and 4 total cups of custard.
I also season my custard base with a pinch of nutmeg and salt and pepper (to taste). This seems to be the perfect jumping off point for the endless flavor combinations of quiche!
Perfect Quiche: Fillings and Combinations
This is the fun part! Let your imagine run wild when it comes to flavoring your quiche. There really are endless combinations based on the vegetables, meats, and cheeses you use. Adjust the fillings as you like, but below is my general rule for flavoring my filling.
Vegetables (1 to 1 ½ cup total), choose up to 3
Some options to explore - roasted and chopped asparagus, steamed broccoli, fresh or frozen spinach (see my note in the recipe section if using frozen), sautéed kale, roasted peppers (drained), sliced mushrooms, onion or shallots, green onion, artichoke hearts (drained).
Meat (¾ cup total), choose 1 or 2
Some options to explore - cooked and crumbled bacon, cooked and crumbled sausage, ham, pepperoni or salami, shredded rotisserie chicken
Cheese (1 cup total), choose 1 or 2
Some options to explore - grated Swiss, gruyère, or Jarlsberg, crumbled manchego, grated monterey jack, pepper jack, or cheddar, crumbled goat cheese, crumbled feta, grated parmesan, ricotta
Fresh Herbs (1-2 tablespoon total), optional
The addition of fresh herbs can be really nice to add to your quiche depending on your filings. Fresh basil, parsley, thyme, and chives all lend a lovely bright flavor. Use these based on the flavors you like.
Perfect Quiche: Assembling and Baking
I mentioned par-baking your crust above, but I am going to mention it again in case you missed it. Par-baking is important if you want to maintain a flaky bottom crust. It allows the crust to set, so it doesn't shrink or bubble up. This is not an absolute must, and I will be the first to admit I don't always do it because of time. But if you want perfect crust, par-bake!
To par-bake your crust - preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Line a 9-inch pie plate with pie dough (store-bought or homemade) and crimp your edges as desired. Chill the plate for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Line your crust with parchment, and fill it with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the crust has set (about 15 minutes). Remove from the oven, and remove the weights and parchment. Continue baking until the crust is lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Let the crust cool while you continue to prepare your filling.
To assemble your quiche - layer your fillings, and then pour the egg custard on top.
Ok, I know that was a lot of information about quiche! Hopefully it inspired you to branch out and try new flavors. I included one of my favorite quiche combinations below to get you started. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to leave a comment below or reach out to me directly on social media or via email.
Spinach, Bacon, and Mushroom Quiche
- Total Time: 2 Hours
- Yield: 6-8 Servings 1x
Description
How to make perfect quiche every time. I break down everything from crust to fillings. Plus, I share my favorite quiche recipe – spinach, bacon, and mushroom.
Ingredients
- 1, 9-inch pie crust
- 4 eggs
- ½ cup (roughly) whole milk
- ½ cup (roughly) half and half or heavy cream
- pinch of nutmeg
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- 2 packed cups of fresh spinach leaves*
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 6 slices of bacon, cut into small pieces
- 1 cup grated gruyere cheese
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375F degrees. Line a 9-inch pie plate with pie dough and crimp your edges as desired. Chill the plate for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Line your crust with parchment and fill it with pie weights (or dried beans). Bake until the crust has set, about 15 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and take off the weights and foil/parchment. Continue baking until the crust is lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Let the crust cool while you continue to prepare your filling.
- In a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the sliced bacon. Cook for about 5 minutes, until cooked through but not burned. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Drain excess fat from the pan, but do not wipe the pan clean.
- Over medium heat add the shallots and sliced mushrooms. Cook for 5-10 minutes, or until the mushrooms are tender. Add the spinach one handful at a time and allow to wilt. Add back the bacon and stir to combine. Remove from heat.
- To make your egg custard, crack your eggs into a 2-cup measuring cup. Add equal parts whole milk and half and half until you reach 2 cups total liquid. Add the nutmeg, salt and pepper. Whisk the custard until well combined and the eggs and milk have completely blended together.
- In your cooled crust, layer the filling mixture and cheese. Pour over the egg custard.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 350F degrees and bake the quiche until the filling has set and slightly puffed in the middle, about 50-60 minutes. When you remove it from the oven, the middle should jiggle slightly, but should not be watery. Let the quiche cool for at least 10 minutes (ideally 30 minutes) before slicing. This will give the custard a chance to set.
Notes
- If using FROZEN spinach instead of fresh, thaw before using. To prepare thawed spinach, it is important to remove as much moisture as possible, so it doesn't make the quiche soggy. To do this, use cheese cloth (or similar) to wring and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. The spinach should be very dry and crumbly when you're done. You want a cup of this dry and crumbly spinach for your quiche.
- If you have a deep pie dish, double the custard filling – 8 eggs, 2 cups (roughly) of milk.
- Prep Time: 30 Minutes
- Cook Time: 90 Minutes
- Category: Breakfast
Keywords: Difficulty – Moderate, Quiche, Breakfast, Brunch, Spinach, Mushroom, Eggs, Bacon
Tools to Make the Perfect Quiche
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